The Buffalo Sabres are closing in on their first playoff berth in 14 seasons, but were dealt some tough news on Thursday. Despite agreeing to a trade with the St Louis Blues, Colton Parayko shut the deal down. Now, the Sabres face down the final 24 hours of the NHL trade deadline, needing a defenseman. Dougie Hamilton would be a perfect fit.
The Sabres tried to trade for Parayko, a 32-year-old, right-handed, 6'6″ defenseman. Hamilton, who is currently with the New Jersey Devils, is a 32-year-old, right-handed, 6'6″ defenseman. The Sabres have a lot of big defenseman, which has been valuable at this year's deadline. But don't expect Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, or Michael Kesselring to go anywhere. Buffalo is looking to add another big defender to their club, and Hamilton is the right fit.
The New Jersey Devils have been trying to trade Hamilton away for a bit. Last offseason, he denied a trade to the San Jose Sharks, sticking with the Devils. This season has been a disaster in Newark, and Tom Fitzgerald should be looking to sell off pieces heading into the offseason.
The Sabres would have to navigate another no-trade clause in a trade for Hamilton. His salary is $9 million per year, $2.5 million more than Parayko's, and the contract runs through 2028, two years shorter than Parayko's. According to Puckpedia, the Sabres would have to clear $1.318 million in cap space to fit Hamilton in. Trading Beck Malenstyn, who has nine points in 60 games, would clear enough space.
The Sabres should be pushing in their chips
Had Parayko accepted the trade, the Sabres would have sent a 2026 first-round pick and top prospect Radim Mrtka to the Blues. That is a haul comparable to what the Colorado Avalanche paid for Brock Nelson last year, which was one of the most expensive moves of the deadline. That alone shows that new Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is ready to buy at the deadline.
Hamilton should not cost that much, as trade rumors have been swirling around him for a while. The Sabres would also have to attach a player in this deal to make the salaries work, which brings down the futures package. Trading for Hamilton while keeping Mrtka would be a great pivot for Kekalainen and the Sabres.
The Sabres could also go right back to the Blues for a defenseman trade. Justin Faulk has one year left on his deal at $6.5 million after this season and a 15-team no-trade list. So, if the Sabres are not among those 15 teams, the two teams could work on a different trade. But Buffalo may not want to pay the same price for Faulk, who is under contract for a shorter time and is a year older.
The Sabres have been through brutal times in the last 14 years. They played their biggest game in years coming back from the Olympic break, beating former captain Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights. They have plenty more big games to come, and Kekalainen should push all the buttons he can to make sure Buffalo wins those games.
